“Larger Public Interest”: Government’s new card to weaken the Shaheen Bagh movement

As thousands of women and children brave the winter chill at Shaheen Bagh to protest against CAA, the government now takes on undue ways to suppress the movement.

None of the ministers or officials from the government reached Shaheen Bagh as the protest continues for over a month, day and night.

The government only showed attempts to weaken the movement using propaganda.

Now the government intends to break the movement by forcing the vacation of Shaheen Bagh in the name of public interest.

These women and children brought alive the essence of satyagrah as they silently question the exclusion of muslims in the CAA.

Lakhs of people across the country stand in solidarity with Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. Kolkata, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Prayagraj and many other cities are witnessing Shaheen Bagh protests.

The Delhi Police on Friday appealed to protesters on the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch to move their ongoing demonstration to another location in the "larger interests of the public".

Becoming the face of countrywide protests against the controversial law, protesters are now being deprived of basic amenitiese like electricity and toilets.

However, the protest has also resulted in blockage of the stretch -- a key link between Noida and South Delhi but still no attempts have been made to attend to the concerns of the protesting women and children.

"We appeal to agitators on Road No 13-A, Shaheen Bagh, to understand the sufferings that the highway blockade is causing to residents of Delhi and NCR, senior citizens, emergency patients and school-going children," the police said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court had asked the police to try and clear the route through "persuasion" instead of force.

Police said they are also reaching out to religious leaders in an effort to make the agitators vacate the vital route.

Despite the government's attempt to weaken the movement, many have come out in support of the women and children at Shaheen Bagh too.

Whatever course the Shaheen Bagh protest takes but the spirit of the movement will stay alive against the divisive law.